John b



IDS.

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Patented May '8,- 1894 we Model.)

IJ. B. DAV GAMB 0R AMU AVM AY In m!! "MMMMMMMMMMB/ A diagonally forward, in turn of play, to the *rares I @with JOI-IN B. BAVIDS, OFDARTMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO E. M.

' i CHISHOLM DAVIDS, OF SAME PLACE.

1GAME 0R AMUSENIENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,326, dated May 8, 1894.

Application tiled April 29, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. DAVIDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at (North) Dartmouth, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and interesting Game or Amusement, of which the following is a specication.

The accompanying drawing represents a plan view of my game board, which is preferably rectangular in form, having its surface divided into, preferably two hundred and nine squares of equal dimension, and having in each corner, a square, equal in dimension to four of the other squares. The center square of the board is distinctivelymarked, and is termed the hub, or hub square, and is to be occupied by the hub checkers, only, which hub checkers, are of distinctive character from the other checkers or battling pieces used in the game. The four large corner squares of the board are called counting squares or spaces, and are connected with the center or hub square by arow of connecting squares, distinctively marked, and termed the homeward squares, of which, those four,immediately corneringon thehub square, are distinctively marked, and are termed the captor squares. The squaresimmediately surrounding the hub square, and the captor squares, are termed the hub switch squares, and are marked with arrow points, to indicate 'the direction in which the pieces occupying them, may he moved. The squares next to the outer row of squares on the board, are termed border switch squares and are marked with arrow points, to indicate the direction` in which the pieces occupying them may be moved. The outer rows of squares, are the starting rows, on which the pieces of the players are placed, at the commencement of the game.

The game is played by either two or four persons, and each player has pieces of a distinctive color or shape, one side of each piece being plain, and the opposite side, having some device, as a crown,"to` distinguish it from the plain side. Each playeris provided with eleven of said pieces, which he places, plain side up, on the eleven squares forming` the outer row, next to him, and moves them` Serial No. 472,392. (No model.)

border switch row; when, the piece may be moved diagonally forward, or to the right or left, in the direction of the arrow points. The `movement upon, and from all other squares, (excepting the switch squares,) must be in a forward diagonal direction only, or from corner to corner, to contiguous squares;

`the Object of theswitch squares being, yto allow the player to so adjust his piece (in regular turn of play) that he may follow any particular row of squares he may desire. It is upon these squares, and the squares occupying the field bounded by theborder switch squares, that the battle is waged and fought out. The homeward squares can only be entered by such otl the players battle pieces, as have entered one of the captor squares by way of some one ofthe hub switch squares, and leaped over and captured a hub checker, from the hub square, such piece, after leaping over and taking a hub checker, which, until then, had its plain side uppermost, is-immediately turned over,crown side up, to indicate that it has made said capture, and is entitled to enter a corner counting space. No other piece can enter awcorner counting space; and in going to said "space, they cannot deviate from the row of homeward squares, butmust move directly toward the nearest corner counting space. Each such piece, if successful in running the gauntlet thereto, counts its playerthe largest single count in the game; but if capturedon the way, by opponents leaping the same, it will count the latter a number of points. The capture of a hub checker, makes a count of a number of points, as does also the capture of a battle piece. The object of the hub switch squares, is to prevent or break a blockade of the hub square, thereby providing one of the most interesting features of the game. Checkers, or battle pieces, capture in the direction in which they move, and the captured piece, must be immediately removed from the board, When a hub checker is jumped, it is removed'from the hub by the player whose piece has leaped the same, and is replaced by another hub checker. The four rows of .homeward squares,

can be crossed only by way of the ordinary squares which corner between them. No re- IOO tracing move, to a square from which a player has last removed his piece, is permissible, but a player may make a succession of moves by Way of other squares, to again come back to his former position, ad Zz'ht'tum. There are four special objects, each player endeavors to accomplish in the game, viz. to capture as many of an opponents pieces as possible; to capture as many hub checkers as he can; to run the gauntlet on the homeward squares and get as many pieces as possible,

also possesses the rare quality of being adapted for either two or four players.

l. A game board having its surface marked into an odd number of squares, so that one of said squares shall occupy the center of the series, and having the central square distinctively marked; and having the four squares cornering on the said central square distinctively marked; and having the sixteen squares bordering on said central and four cornerin g squares, distinctively marked; and having the four roWs of squares leading from said cornering squares to the corners of the board, distinctively marked; and having the four corner squares of the board distinctively marked; and having the tWo outer rows of squares on the edges of the 'board Vdistinctively marked from each other and from the other squares; in combination With pieces of distinctive color or shape, to successively occu py said central square; and battling pieces, v

having their marked.

2. A game board, havingits surface marked into a series of squares or spaces having one of said spaces occupying the center of said series, and distinctively marked; in combination with pieces of distinctive color or shape from the battling pieces, to successively occupy said central space, exclusively, as described.

JOHN B. DAVIDS.

opposite sides distinctively Witnesses:

JAMES C. HITCH, HENRY W. MASON. 

